Presidents Barack Obama, Raul Castro Watch Rays Beat Cuban National Team

On Tuesday, President Barack Obama and his family attended a baseball game between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Cuban national team in Havana, Cuba, alongside Cuban President Raul Castro.

Presidents Barack Obama, Raul Castro Watch Rays Beat National Team

The event was a major milestone for sports diplomacy, as the two presidents set aside more than 50 years of Cold War hostility, during which the only thing both countries seemed to love just as much was the sport of baseball.

Obama and Castro even participated in doing “the wave.”

The Rays beat the Cuban national team 4-1. The historic game also marked the first visit by a major league team to Cuba since 1999.

James Loney homered and drove in three runs, and Matt Moore and the Tampa Bay pitchers shut out the Cubans until third baseman Rudy Reyes homered in the ninth inning.

After Kevin Kiermaier slid into home for the Tampa Bay Rays’ first run of the day, President Obama opened his arms wide to give the sign for “safe.” Then he turned to his left and shook hands with Castro, who sat in the front row along with the rest of the Obama family: his wife Michelle Obama, and his two daughters Sasha and Malia. Obama’s visit at Estadio Latinoamericano marked the last stop of his trip to Cuba this week.

Chants of “Raul! Raul!” also broke out.

Former All-Stars Derek Jeter and Dave Winfield and Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred were among the president’s greeters. Secretary of State John Kerry was also in the VIP box, as well as several of Cuba’s highest officials.

Obama also shared an extended handshake with ace pitcher Chris Archer, who once was a minor league player for the Chicago Cubs. He handed Obama, a White Sox fan, a glove owned by Moore.

“We won’t experience anything like this again,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said afterward. “So it’s a very special day for Major League Baseball, the Tampa Bay Rays and obviously all of our players, myself included.”

Obama and Castro both left during the third inning, with Obama heading to the airport to fly south for a state visit to Argentina. Nevertheless, the stands remained packed to near-capacity until the final out.

Reyes later added, “This game meant a lot, because of the brotherhood there will be from now on” between Cuban and U.S. baseball.”

Loud music and dancers on the field warmed the crowd up beforehand, and little children in tiny baseball uniforms escorted the players out for the introductions.

A white-clad choir sang both countries’ national anthems and a flock of doves was unleashed from the center-field stands. The Cuban and U.S. flags both stood atop the scoreboard.

Admission to the game was free, and tickets to the game were distributed to Cubans through organizations like student groups and workplaces.

The game also marked a homecoming for Tampa right fielder Dayron Varona, who was born in Havana and spent seven years playing in Cuba before moving to Haiti in 2013. On Monday, he reunited with relatives he hadn’t seen in three years.

Symbolically, Varona was up to bat first in Tuesday’s game. Meeting Obama made the occasion even more significant for him.

“That gave me a lot of satisfaction,” Varona said. “I hope someone took a photo and has it somewhere so I can go pick it up.”

Luis Tiant, a three-time MLB all-star, and Pedro Luis Lazo, who had a long career with both Cuban club Pinar del Rio and the national team, threw out the first pitches.

The stadium observed a minute of silence before the game in memory of the Brussels attacks.

Caption: HAVANA, CUBA – MARCH 22: U.S. President Barack Obama (C) and Cuban President Raul Castro visit during an exposition game between the Cuban national team and the Major League Baseball team Tampa Bay Devil Rays at the Estado Latinoamericano March 22, 2016 in Havana, Cuba. This is the first time a sittng president has visited Cuba in 88 years. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Article by Pablo Mena